College was a different experience than high school to say the least. But to sum it up: college is so much better than high school. I have done some great things and met pretty amazing people here, just in my first semester. Here are my final thoughts on my first semester:

The work load at times can be a little overwhelming. Some days I have 60 pages to read, on top of 2 projects and book work, but other days I may not have any homework. I feel that in college, I have more time to complete assignments as compared to high school. The homework may be long and challenging, but it's all a part of the experience.

College food. Where do I start? I can say the most important thing is to have snack and instant mac & cheese in your dorm. Sometimes the food at college can be boring after awhile. Towards the end of the semester, all I wanted was a home cooked meal. I have to say, it's very difficult (as some one who loves to cook and bake) to not be able to make whatever you want to. I feel like this semester I lived off of macaroni, smoothies, Dunks, and chicken nuggets. (Rite Aid stops are essential --- thanks Alyssa for running across 125 with me to get snacks)

The classes are so much better than high school. There would be some days where I have only one class for an hour. It gives me time to relax and complete assignments. Other days I might have 3 classes. But in the end, they all work out. ...And the best part is they don't meet all the time.

My dorm is my second home. It is a place for my roomies and myself to relax and hangout. (Also having our own bathroom is a plus) We basically live in the common room.

Getting sick is not pleasant. For me, I usually never get sick. If I do get sick, it is only at the most once a year. But living in close quarters will make you get sick more often. If one person gets sick, then everyone does. I've learned to clean everything in the room more often and try harder to stay healthy.

I've gotten involved more than I thought I would. The clubs I'm a part of (LYM, The Odyssey, & AMA), I'm so proud to be a part of. I'm also grateful to be so involved in the Honors Program and I cannot wait to see where it will take me and the adventures to come.

Finals week. To sum it up: it was an experience. Good or bad? I'm still unsure. Overall, I know what I need to do now for the next set of finals. I realized that there can be times where you can have three finals in one day or no finals at all on another day. It's all about time management. A note to my future self and others: start studying early, because there is more material to cover than you think.

But after all this, I'm so proud to call Merrimack my home. My first semester I find to be a learning experience. I found the people I call my friends, how to manage my time, how to besuccessful and overall how to make myself happy. Funny how I almost didn't apply to Merrimack shortly over a year ago (thanks dad). I can't wait to see what the next semester brings!